Of Red, White, and Blue
by CianieMoo
Summary: The Justice League has always been an extraordinary team, especially Superman and Wonder Woman, the Earth's most powerful heroes. Even though they're viewed as perfect, powerful-and sometimes alien-in everyone's eyes, one could hardly imagine just how human they can be...
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi, it's me again. I've gotten a request to do a story based on what I wrote in my one shot, "Legacy". So I'm gonna do it. There are two reasons why I am; one is because I've been asked to, and the other is that this is the make up for "Dangerous Love" since I can no longer write it. Sorry about that, by the way.**

**This is just the prologue; in this chapter Clark and Diana are twenty-three and twenty-five, and there's a lot of angst from Diana. Yeah, I think that's me talking in her place. But I promise, this story will get better as time goes on. I'm sorry if it seems to suck right now.**

**One more thing; I'm basing this off of the ****_Justice League_**** New 52 story line. It won't be exactly the same, but those who follow it will notice the similarities between my story and the New 52. Now, enough of my ranting. On with the story!**

* * *

He hated to see her hurting.

Clark looked on from a distance at Diana, who was sitting silently on top of the Lincoln memorial in Washington, D.C. He knew what had happened only hours before between her and Colonel Steve Trevor, her now ex-boyfriend. He could practically sense the sadness radiating from her when she briskly brushed past her in the Watchtower when the League's meeting was over. She didn't even bother asking Vic to transport her out of there; she simply flew out of the airlock, something she hardly ever did.

He eventually found out why by Barry and Hal, who had accompanied her during her trip to visit Steve. But it was only what they had managed to understand by piecing together the signs, not from what they heard. He was hesitant to try to talk to her, or at least sit next to her and join her as she stared at the full moon.

_Maybe Diana doesn't want company,_ he thought. _Maybe she wants to be alone for a while. That is entirely possible._

Yet something inside of him didn't _want_ to leave her alone—yes, he understood why she had flown out here by herself and currently had her head buried in her knees, but at the same time knew just how important a friend could be at that moment. Deciding on sitting with her, he slowly floated until he was floating above her, his red cape billowing heroically in the wind.

Diana looked up before he could even say anything. Clark's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach the moment their eyes made contact; she looked absolutely miserable. The usual spark in her eyes was nearly gone, and the brightness that usually mesmerized him to no end was despairingly dim. After what seemed like forever she lowered her head again, acknowledging his presence with a mere nod of her head.

He slowly slid next to her, not saying a word. Their silence was enough. He knew whenever silence was a good thing or a bad thing. Then again, he didn't know _when_, once it came to _her_. Despite knowing the Amazon for five years she still came onto him as mysterious and quiet. Now that he thought about it, the only time he _did_ hear her speak was when he or the others spoke to her or was giving out orders during a mission.

No, she wasn't bossy, not in the _least_. She was simply a natural-born leader, being raised amongst the women of Themyscira, who were warriors in every way. Diana was raised to be just like them, only much, _much_ more skilled and unbeatable, which was painfully proven and displayed whenever an enemy wanted to go against her. Clark often heard Barry and Hal make bets on how long the soon-to-be sorry opponent would last. So far, none of them ever passed five minutes and thirty-six seconds.

"…Barry and Hal told you, didn't they?"

Clark snapped his head at Diana upon suddenly hearing her voice. "Yeah. They told me when you left." Hesitated for a second before asking, "…Di, what _happened_?"

She lifted her head again, giving the Kryptonian her full attention. "Steve and I…our relationship failed miserably. When we tried to work things out, he was captured by Graves, and then this happened. We got into an argument in his hospital room, and he basically kicked me out after telling me that we…" She paused, taking a deep breath, "…that we were through. I didn't understand, but he made me leave, so I did."

Clark frowned. "How long have you been up here then? The meeting was this morning; it's nearly midnight now."

"I've been here since twilight. I waited until it was dark enough for me to sit up there without anyone really noticing me, since I didn't want anyone to start any rumors." A look of realization appeared on her face. "…The press is talking about us, aren't they?"

Clark sighed. "They have been since the moment you left the hospital. Seeing an angry Wonder Woman storm out of a hospital—the same one that Steve was in, no less—was basically giving the press a field day. "By the way, where were you before this?"

He could've sworn Diana's voice cracked when she said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Home."

He knew what she was talking about. Her apartment in London wasn't her "home", nor did she ever refer to it as such. She was talking about Themyscira, the home she had avoided since she had come to "Man's World", as she occasionally called it. But why the mere mention of her homeland made her so upset baffled him to this day. Wouldn't she be _happy_ to be there after being away from it for so long?

"Oh. You and your mother still aren't on good terms?" he asked.

Diana's arms tightened around her knees, shaking slightly. "…We can't be on good terms if she's…_gone_."

His heart clenched painfully in his chest. Now he understood why a simple remark of Themyscira would suddenly make her emotions plummet. Was Hippolyta…_dead_?

"She's not dead, not exactly," Diana said, seemingly reading Clark's thoughts. "But she's not alive, either."

He waited patiently for her to continue, and she did after a moment. "When I first came here, I always kept my distance between me and Themyscira because I saw it as a distraction. If I went back there for too long, something may happen here and I wouldn't know it. But then I was convinced by someone to go back there, to just visit my family one last time, and then I found _this_ out…"

"Found what out?"

She glanced up at him, her eyes glassy and full of hurt. "…I'm not human, not a full human, anyway. While I was raised to believe that I was created by the gods by clay, my mother kept a secret from me and from the other Amazons. I'm…I'm a _demigoddess_."

To say Clark was stumped is an understatement. His jaw dropped as he heard her speak. _She's a demigoddess? No wonder she's so strong and powerful…_

"My father is someone, to this day, I hate with a passion," Diana continued.

Clark pretended to not know, although he had a good clue on who her "father" was. "Who?"

"It's the King of the Gods himself, Zeus."

And he was right, but he still was shocked. From the little bit he did know, the Amazons were man-haters and loathed every single thing about the opposite gender and in fact had told stories to the children—which he had no idea how were even _born_ on an island full of women—about their apparent "evilness". "That's…surprising," he finally said.

"It should be, considering the lie I lived with all these years."

A strong sense of déjà vu came over Clark at that moment, but he couldn't think _why_ he would get it. He felt as if he was forgetting something—what, he didn't know. "Well, she most likely did it to protect you. If your father is Zeus, I'm pretty sure that his wife knew at some point. And I know that she usually does something horrible to the children he has by his infidelity."

Diana sighed. "You're completely right; that's what her intentions were, to protect me from her wrath. But I didn't realize that until it was too late. Hera…she turned my mother into clay to mock me and my sisters into snakes. Themyscia's nothing now, a shadow of its former glory…"

He'd never imagine seeing Diana like this, so…_vulnerable_. It was like seeing another side of her, the side only those closest to her had ever gotten a chance to see, and even then he was sure it was a rarity. To see the brave, heroic, powerful Wonder Woman telling him her deepest, darkest secret…it made him feel as if he was a part of that little circle.

"Maybe Hera will change them back soon," he offered.

She shook her head, visibly depressed. "She won't. That's how she is; her purpose of doing this is to make me completely miserable, and I can't do anything about it. She's a _goddess_—she's much more powerful than I am."

Clark merely looked on in silence. Diana was right about that; Hera was simply too powerful. Yet here everyone was calling him the most powerful being in the universe. They just didn't know…

"We're not like them, but we're not like _him_ either," Diana suddenly said. "We can never be like either of them. We're just too different."

Clark knew immediately what she was talking about. He often thought about it when he was discovering his powers and origins. Just how _different_ was he from the others? "But there _are_ others like _us_," he said. "We're not alone in this universe."

"That may be, but I doubt many of them are as pure as us and fight for what's needed to be done instead of what is _wanted _to be done. And even if there is more out there like us, what chance is there that we'll meet them? We live here on Earth; the universe if forever expanding. What chance is there that we will see others like us?"

He had to admit, there was a very, very slim chance. But he caught the gleam in her eyes, and he knew exactly what it was: _dying hope_. "Just admit it, we're completely alone. It's just those of us on Earth, and that's a number horribly dwindled down to nearly nothing."

Diana turned her gaze on Clark, her crystal blue eyes capturing his sky blue ones. "Do you ever get lonely?" she asked.

The answer was too easy to answer. He always did, even when he was down at the _Daily Planet_ as Clark Kent, human journalist with an ordinary life. Between his life as a regular human and as a world-famous superhero, he just couldn't fight the loneliness that often got to him.

But he'd never mention that out loud. It just seemed to be something that he, the great and powerful Superman, could deal with by himself. But, truth be told, he _couldn't_. He couldn't deal with it on his own. He couldn't fight off the waves of loneliness that always seemed to attack him, threatening to tear him apart from the inside out and completely ruin him. When he gave his answer, he felt as if it was the most honest thing he ever told anybody, "Of course."

They had unconsciously inched closer to each other during his pause. Slowly but surely they leaned in, closing their eyes. In seconds their lips met in a gentle kiss, devoid of any restraint. It was something that seemed so in tune, so accurate, so _right _to do.

* * *

**A/N: So, this is my take of that world famous kiss. I know, it's a little angsty, and Diana seems a little OOC, but I'll explain in later chapters, not to mention that my mind's still not in its right mind. But like I said, it'll get better.**

**Feedback and criticism are welcomed :)**


	2. Men

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Sorry I took so long. You all know why by now, but there's good news! I'm finally getting better! That is good news, right?**

**Alright, enough of my ramblings. On with the story!**

* * *

"That girl is amazing!" Hal whispered to Barry, pointing at the stunning, gorgeous Amazon standing on the other side of the room. "Did you see how she took down those things? And my God, did she give that Darkseid tyrant a beating!"

Barry agreed. "You _did_ call dibs on her, Hal. You'd be the luckiest guy in the universe if you could get her to agree on going on a date with you, but to be honest, I doubt it."

Hal shot his friend a glare. "Hey, it's _going_ to happen. No woman has ever turned me down!"

Barry rolled his eyes. Of course. Typical Hal behavior.

All seven of them had relocated to a large building the government had generously given them, which was in Washington, D.C. Superman had explained that they would remain there until a new "Watchtower", as he called it, could be built.

In addition to Superman, Hal, and Barry were Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Batman, or as recently known by, Bruce. The others' names were still a mystery, and it didn't help that they all were scarily high in strength and could snap them like a toothpick. It was the reason why Superman was currently staring out of a window, Aquaman was somewhere else in the building with Cyborg, and Wonder Woman was on the other side of the room.

To put it simply, the more non-powered humans (minus Bruce) were scared out of their wits.

* * *

_Men; such strange creatures,_ Diana thought as she glanced around the room. She could hear Green Lantern and Flash talking about her, as her ears could pick up just about anything. She shook her head at the nonsense Green Lantern was babbling. _If he thinks he can get me or however these people say it he has another think coming. I have no interest in dating, little man._

She glanced at Batman, who was currently working on some sort of device at a table. As much as he intrigued her, she had no interest with him. Yes, he was…different from other humans, judging just how far he was willing to go to save the planet despite having no superhuman powers, but the interest stopped after a while. From what little time they spent with each other she could see that he would be merely a stuck-up, bossy individual, and so far he, along with Green Lantern and, to an extent, Aquaman, only proved her mother's statements about men.

They _were_ absolutely good for nothing.

But, as her gaze landed on Superman staring out of the window, she felt herself inwardly questioning whether her mother was right or not about them. Though he hardly said anything, when he did speak his voice was full of kindness, not hatred like she was taught to believe. _He_ was the one she was most interested in, as seeing that he was far more different from the others. A few mere seconds told her what the others were; Green Lantern was a self-absorbed womanizer, Flash was a brave but shy man, Cyborg was obviously an amateur, Aquaman was a self-proclaimed leader (which made her just want to hit him because of his overconfidence), and Bruce was already explained.

But _he_, he was _nothing_ like the others.

Diana frowned when he suddenly turned away from the window, their eyes briefly meeting. Neither of their gazes wavered, and for that split second it seemed like they were the only two people in the room. But a moment later he looked away, clearing his throat and gaining the others' attention. Cyborg and Aquaman had returned by then and were watching Superman intently.

"I just want to thank you for what you did today," he began, flicking his eyes over everyone. "I'm sure that without all of your help, the world would not have been saved, or much, _much_ worse."

"That's what _you_ think," Green Lantern suddenly said, a smug smirk on his face. "I could've done this _by myself_ with one hand tied behind my back."

Aquaman scoffed. "Please, they were in _my_ part of the ocean. My animals could have eaten all of them in seconds."

Diana shook her head. _Hera, these men are egoistic. Maybe Mother was right…_

"That's enough, you two," Batman said, casting a frown at them. "Green Lantern, Darkseid proved to be a match for you. He easily shattered through your weapons. And Aquaman, you only have control on _marine_ life. Once on land, you will have problems. Needless to say, us banding together to defeat Darkseid was the only way."

Flash nodded in agreement. "That's true; we all have our own powers, which in the end helped. Superman's a living powerhouse, Wonder Woman's most likely the best in swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat, Batman's one of the top detectives in the world, Green Lantern has his ring, Aquaman can control marine life, Cyborg's a living machine, and I'm the fastest person alive. With all of this added together we took Darkseid down."

A few seconds of silence passed before Superman spoke again. "See? Without all of our powers we would never have been able to do this. We make a good team."

Batman grunted. "I work alone. I have business in Gotham. I don't have time to protect the whole world from monsters like Darkseid."

"Same here," Green Lantern chimed in. "I protect a section of the _universe_. I don't have time to waste."

Aquaman agreed. "And I have Atlantis to protect. I can't be away from there."

Superman sighed. "Come on, you are acting as if the world is in danger every passing second. Not much happens around here. We could band together whenever the world was in trouble." He glanced at Wonder Woman, Flash, and Cyborg. "Don't you three agree?"

Flash and Cyborg slowly nodded, while Diana merely stared ahead. "Wonder Woman?"

She eventually nodded as well, not saying a word. She had nothing to say to them. "Okay, so they agree with me," Superman continued. "That wouldn't be a problem, but of course we would have to work for smaller threats."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Like I said, I'm busy—"

"I know of the super villains that are active, including the ones that give you trouble. I've heard of the Joker working with someone like Ra's al Ghul. I know you're highly skilled, but don't you think you'd need backup with that kind of situation?"

"Are you trying to say I am weak?"

"Not at all. I'm just trying to say that it would be handled better if we worked together instead of alone—"

Batman stood up, a look of annoyance written on his face. "I'll tell you again, I work _alone_. I don't need help from you or any other person in this room, and that's a fact. I managed five years ago, and I'll manage now." With that, he left.

Aquaman and Green Lantern followed suit. The only remaining ones were Flash, Cyborg, Superman, and Wonder Woman. After several moments of silence, Flash said, "How about we introduce ourselves? I'm Bartholomew Allen, or Barry." He turned to Cyborg. "Cy?"

Cyborg shrugged. "Sure. I'm Victor Stone, or Vic."

Superman seemed to be debating something before saying, "I'm Kal-El, or Kal."

Flash's eyes widened. "As in Cal Ripken?"

"No. I don't even know who that is. I was born on a planet called Krypton, and my name is, figuratively and literally, alien."

All eyes turned to Diana. She took a deep breath and said with her eyes closed, "I'm Diana."

Flash smiled. "Come on, no last name?"

"I have nothing of the sort. I'm sure all of you live here in America; I don't. I only came here because of the impending danger."

"So where are you from?" Superman asked.

"I'm from Themyscira."

All three of them stared at her in shock. "You mean as in Paradise Island, home of the Amazons?"

"More or less. I'm not making this up."

Superman shook his head. "I don't believe you. That place has only been in folklore. There's no proof of it ever existing."

Diana glared at him. "So you believe I'm lying?"

"Yes."

Of course. He was a man. _Just like my mother told me,_ she thought. "Well, I'm not. I'm sorry if you refuse to believe me, but I'm not lying at all."

Flash cut in before an argument could start up. "Hey! Supes, maybe she's telling the truth. Judging from her powers and scary height, it's possible."

Now the Amazon's glare was on him. "Scary height?"

"What? You're taller than me! And you're not even wearing heels! You're almost as tall as Superman here!"

Diana leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. _Men, _she thought with disgust. _I don't know how the females of this planet can deal with them_.

* * *

A few hours later, Diana was in her temporary room in the building. During the time they spent there—which was a lot for her since she had nowhere else to go—she had turned it into a bedroom-training room combo. There was a several-hundred punching back in the corner, several swords and shields, and an assortment of other weapons she could use in battle. On the other side was a Greek-styled bedroom and small statues of gods and goddesses.

She was practicing fighting techniques when a knock came at the door. "Come in," she said, pausing.

Superman entered the room. Immediately she scowled. "Let me guess, you didn't finish what you were saying about me earlier," she hissed.

He shook his head. There was a look of sincerity in his eyes. "No. I just came to apologize. I didn't mean to accuse you like that."

She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "It's fine. To be honest, I acted on impulse. It's what I was trained to do, to defend myself no matter what it was."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "Trained to do? It seems like the Amazons trained you for nearly everything."

"They have. I have been trained expect everything. A moment of weakness can cost everything."

"Everyone can be weak at times, Diana. It's not a problem at all. Enjoying yourself would be considered a weakness to some."

She huffed, returning to her training. "It is. There is absolutely no time for it. There is no telling how much damage and evil can happen in a split second."

"But what about the ones that _don't_ happen?" He was smiling now. "Diana, it's fine to relax whenever needed. You've been in here whenever you weren't in the main room."

"It keeps me in shape."

"I think your shape is perfect, to be honest." He quickly added when she gave him a look, "I mean, you don't need to train every waking minute. A day or two of lounging around won't hurt anybody."

Diana ignored him. "That's exactly what they say. During those days something can happen, and that's all I need."

Superman grabbed her wrist, causing their eyes to meet. "It's fine to train, but relaxing helps as well. Just talk with me for a few minutes, alright? After that I'll let you train as much as you want."

She sighed deeply. "Fine. Just for a few minutes."

They ended up talking the rest of the night.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this wasn't as good as I thought it'd be, but it's better than nothing.**

**How is it so far? I'm obviously starting from the beginning, and here Diana is fresh out of Themyscira and is eighteen, while Clark is twenty and knows his way around the hero business. Don't worry, though, it'll get better.**

**Please review!**


	3. Clashing Genders

**A/N: Hi! It's been a looooong time since I've updated! Sorry about that. I'm writing a book now, and my inspiration was focused into that. But I'm back!**

**I want to thank all of those that replied to me for their help. Without you guys I don't think I would've returned back here! Some of you know my issue with my family, and I thank you for your words of support. You guys really are great!**

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

_Men; to this day they confuse me,_ Diana thought.

Lying in her bed, her mind wandered to the previous night, when she and Kal had talked for hours. To her utter surprise it came relaxed and easy, as if he were a friend she had known all her life. But he wasn't, and that's what made it so confusing. One minute he was insisting she was a liar, and the next he was checking up on her.

She couldn't believe it at the very least. They had talked about things she had never fully discussed with anyone she had just met, including her homeland. He told her about his parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, who were born on Krypton and had sent him to Earth when he was an infant. Despite trying to ignore it she had to admit she was highly intrigued about his personal life.

And that's what worried her. When she first came to Man's World she had no intention on associating with men; she ended up befriending Colonel Steve Trevor, a man that managed to come close to Themyscira by crash-landing in the waters around the island. He was saved by her, and from that point on they were friends. It wasn't something her mother had approved of—he was a man, after all.

And of course Diana had her own doubts about him for that same reason. Being raised by an island of women made her think that they were the superior gender and were perfectly capable of doing everything a man could, although now she could see that males were just as great. Yes, they had flaws, but who didn't? She most certainly had her own, despite being known as Wonder Woman.

She rolled her eyes at the name the public had informally dubbed her as, as well as other names they had come up with: _The Amazing Amazon, America's Guardian Angel, Goddess of Truth_—due to her golden lasso—and another one that she was really baffled about: _The Woman of Steel._ Where did _that_ one come from? She knew Superman was occasionally called the _Man_ of Steel, so what made her his polar opposite? She was _nothing_ like him…

…or so she thought.

* * *

"Come on, Bats. Being in a team would be awesome!" Barry exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "Just think of it. We would always be able to fight crime, and when we aren't we'd be able to go to our respective cities. Don't you think that would work?"

Bruce grunted. "I'm busy with Gotham. I don't have time to be in a team of any sort."

"Yet you work with Nightwing, the Red Hood, Red Robin, your own son who now is Robin, Batgirl, Batwoman, and a lot of others. Still don't have time to be in a team?"

"Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin work alone. Batwoman and Batgirl work alone. The only other person I actually work _with_ is Robin, and that's only because his mother sent me a destructive, impulsive ten year old child that would _not_ survive on his own."

Barry rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, we've seen how the kid is. He's more than capable of handling himself out here. You just don't want to admit that you two work as a team."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "We don't. I merely keep an eye on him."

"_Sure_." Barry spotted Hal walking into the rec room and zoomed over to him. "Hey Hal, don't you think it would be an idea to—"

"_No_." Hal sighed. "Look, Barry, I know you're trying to get us to agree on being on a team, but we're busy. Bruce has his Gotham, I have my sector of the universe, and Arthur has his ocean. Don't you think it's too much for us to handle?"

Barry frowned. "That's all you think about! Don't you think I have my own city? I have Keystone City, yet I'm more than willing to be a part of a team! Supes' city is Metropolis, yet he wants to be a team as well! I'm not sure about Cy, but Diana has her own _island_! She's a damned _princess_ for God's sake! She has royal duties, yet she's still here!"

"That means absolutely nothing! So what if she's a princess?" Hal shouted, raising his fist. "It doesn't mean a damn thing!"

"It means that I'm neglecting my royal duties to attend to the rest of the world, Mr. Jordan."

Bruce, Barry, and Hal turned around to see Diana standing in the doorway, her expression hard. "I apologize for not seeing the logic in your words. I don't see how you can't be a team while protecting the sector of the universe at the same time."

Hal glared at the Amazon. "I have a _chunk_ of the _expanding_ universe to protect! What isn't there to understand?"

"Although I have been here for merely no time compared to you, I have seen just how far Earth can pick up dangers. If they can detect a meteor ten years before it actually hits they can pick up danger. Aren't you representing this planet for your position as a Green Lantern?"

"I am."

"So your sector is, obviously, around Earth. As this is the only known planet in the Solar System with life, don't you think the most danger would happen here?"

Barry smirked when Hal was at a loss for words. "See? Her logic beats yours."

Diana flashed Hal a smile before turning to Bruce. "And as for you, Mr. Wayne, I'm sure that you have no intention of listening to me speak?"

He gave a humph. "You are observant. Using that will get you far in this world, Princess."

"And your obnoxiousness won't. I understand Gotham is a crime-infested city, but what if your villains decide to join a bigger league, one that's more worldwide? I've heard of the Joker; what if he managed to find someone like Darkseid? That's all we need. So don't you think that it would be _best_ if we stopped things like this from happening?"

Barry's smirk grew when the Great Detective himself had no words to say. "I gotta say, Di, your reasoning is flawless! You managed to beat _both_ of them at their own game!"

Diana glanced at the scarlet speedster, smiling again. "Thank you. This is not something difficult for me, though. I _am_ a princess, after all. Persuasion is something I specialize in."

Bruce glared at her. "I thought being a snob would be something you would have experience in."

Diana returned the glare, unfazed by the Dark Knight's infamous glower. "You used the typical stereotype of a princess, which is a stuck-up brat. Sorry to disappoint you, but I am nothing of the sort. I was brought up to be just and fair."

Before Bruce could say anything Clark, Vic, and Arthur walked in. "Great news! Arthur's agreed to the team," Clark announced. "So, it's only you two now."

All eyes turned to Hal and Bruce. The latter merely scowled again before briskly turning on his heels. "I'm busy," was his reply before disappearing.

A few moments of stunned silence passed before Barry muttered, "Geez, always the ignorant one." He turned to his friend, who was deeply frowning. "So, Hal, it's only you now. Are you going to join?"

Hal felt pressured. He looked around at the different faces staring at him; Clark's calm and collected eyes, Vic's relaxed gaze, Arthur's hard stare, Barry's eager look, and Diana's comforting one. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and said, "Alright, fine, I'll join your stupid team. Will that make everyone happy?"

"Yes!" Barry zoomed around the room, cheering happily. Clark, Arthur and Vic let out a breath of relief, while Diana merely flashed him a smile. Seeing the Amazon do something like that made him copy her. Maybe joining would be a good thing, after all.

* * *

Clark watched Diana train through the large sheet of glass. A month had passed since they had saved the world from being destroyed, and since then they had been fitted with bigger rooms, such as a training room, which Diana spent most of her free time in still.

He kept his gaze on her, noticing how smoothly she moved around the targets as if she had been doing things like this all her life. _She has,_ he thought. _She told me herself. She's been trained to fight ever since she was a child._

He was certain that, although brought up in a positive way, she was just like him, alienated from the others because of their powers. They had talked more than once since that certain night, and he learned that she was stronger than the other Amazons of Themyscira, including her mother, the Queen. The children—of whom he had no idea how were even _born_ since the elder Amazons were centuries old—often made fun of her because of her mythical origin, constantly putting her down.

"That's one thing we have in common," he mused to himself. "We're different from the others, no matter how much we try to blend in. No matter how hard I try at the end of the day I'm the Kryptonian sent to Earth as an infant, while she's the Amazon too powerful for her own people to handle."

And now she was even more like him. They were both the aliens of the planet, venturing out into Earth from different homes. And despite knowing that she fought for all that was good, he could see the fire in her eyes, a light that mesmerized him to no end. Exactly _what_ was the spark?

When he entered the training room a few minutes later Diana barely spared him a glance before saying, "I was beginning to wonder when you would show yourself. For a moment I thought you were a statue."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "You knew I was there?"

"Of course," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You aren't the only one with super-hearing, Superman. I also have it."

"Is that so? Well then, just how great is your hearing?"

Both of them detected the teasing in his voice. Now glaring at him she said, "I can hear your heartbeat, although in my honest opinion it should be flat."

"I'm going to ignore that." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Is that all?"

"I can hear Barry and Hal arguing over what they get to watch on the television set."

"Is that—"

"I can hear the sound of two planets colliding together in a galaxy far, far past the Andromeda." She stopped moving, turning her full attention onto him. "Is that good enough for you? Did I make my point yet?"

He blinked. Her hearing was just as good as his. "I suppose so. Is that all you're capable of?"

Diana frowned, her glare darkening. A not even a second later Clark heard behind him, "I don't know, what would you think, Superman?"

He didn't even _feel_ her move. He hid his surprise behind a look of boredom. "I think that you're full of yourself. Both of those powers you just showed me I already have. Don't tell me it's all you got?"

He smirked when she began to fume from behind him, as he could tell from the sudden pickup of her heart. "I have many, _many_ more talents, but what is the point of showing you? All you would do is look on with a smug expression as if you know that you're better than me."

"I never said I was."

"You act as if you are." She moved in front of him, her frown turning into a look of dejection. "What is it with you? One moment you're arguing with me the next we're talking as if we've known each other all our lives. Now you're back to being this ignorant person."

"I am not ignorant, nor have I ever been."

She rolled her eyes. "Denial is only a sign of weakness, Superman."

Clark stepped closer to her, his glare matching hers. "Are you now calling me weak?"

She smirked. "I never said that. But now that you say it…"

"Listen, I am _not_ weak! I am _Super_man, remember?"

"How can't I? But one can brand a name, you know. You have to prove that you're _worthy_ of it. If you don't, then you're less of a man that you make yourself to be."

He snarled at her. "You're not exactly a 'Wonder', you know. Sure, you're from an island full of women, but what's so special about that? You're a newcomer to this world, Diana, and I am going to make sure you learn your place here."

She stepped closer until their faces were only inches apart. "And just _what_ is my place?"

"You are a female warrior, far more superior than most others. But that does _not_ make you 'Wonder Woman'. What makes you that is how just, noble, and worthy of the title you are. Anything less means you're just saying empty words."

"Such big words coming from such a little man. I would like to see just how _super_ you actually are. Are you willing to show me?"

Clark balled a hand into a fist, raising it. "Gladly."

Before he could strike, however, an alarm rang out through the tower. "Superman! Wonder Woman! There's trouble downtown!" Vic screamed through the intercom. "Green Lantern, Flash, and Aquaman's already down there! They need assistance!"

Clark and Diana glared at each other. "_I _can handle this," Clark snapped. "We don't need you to help."

"Oh, really? We'll just see about that." With that, they both blurred out of the room.

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, I think I see a rivalry between Clark and Diana here...**

**Can anyone guess what may be attacking? I know it's not stated here, but I'll give you a hint: It's someone Diana may know...**

**Comments and criticism are welcomed :)**


	4. Slight Problems

**A/N: Oh my god, I am SO sorry I took so long to update! I'm in high school and in a band, and the beginning of the year is marching band. Guess what I've been practicing all this time? I've been so sore and tired I didn't even think about updating, but here it is!**

**Also, I want to thank those who reviewed my story so far. All of you are awesome! Now, on with the story!**

* * *

"You know, speeding up isn't going to keep me from following you," Diana called from behind.

Clark grunted, not looking in her direction. "I know that. I was hoping you'd get the hint."

"There is no hint to take, Superman. You aren't going to get rid of me, and that is final." She chuckled. "Is it really that hard to accept the fact that you're stuck with me?"

He chose to ignore her. They were flying to Washington D.C's downtown, where the danger was. Every few seconds he'd speed up, attempting to get away from her. But no matter how fast he moved she was right behind him, casting him smug looks. Oh, how he'd like to wipe it off of her face at that moment, but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"You know," Diana said, much to his displeasure, "it wouldn't kill you to act nice to me without reverting back to your old ways. What did I ever do to you? I merely came here to help the world; you treat me as if I'm trying to destroy it."

He sighed. "Are you really trying to have this conservation right now, when we're flying towards the trouble? Can't it wait?"

She suddenly appeared in front of him, causing him to stop. Damn, did he hate the fact that she was one of the few people that could match him in speed. He _really_ wasn't used to it. "It can't."

"Diana, do you know exactly how important time is right now? Do you have any idea what might be happening down there right—"

"If you use your ears, Superman, you'll hear that there is absolutely nothing going on. As a matter of fact, nothing has happened for the past few minutes. Green Lantern and Flash managed to somehow convince the tyrant, whoever it is, to cease action until we arrived. In other words, they're waiting for us."

Sure enough, there was nothing going on downtown that alerted him of any danger. He _had_ been listening, but Diana had caught his attention too much for him to completely focus on it. "Fine. You have one minute."

"Plenty of time. Now, why are you against me? What makes me different from the others? You treat me as if _I _am the threat when I am not."

"You aren't the threat, Diana. But you are highly stubborn, and can be a bit of a pain." Clark took off flying before Diana could say anything else. He heard her shout in annoyance before once again following him.

A few minutes later they reached the site, and were shocked at what they saw. There was absolutely little to no damage around, and the area seemed to be evacuated. "I could've sworn there was trouble down here," Clark mused out loud. "Where could they be?"

Hal appeared a moment later. "There you are! What took you two so long?" he asked, crossing his arms angrily over his chest.

Clark glared at Diana, who glared back. "Oh, nothing much. Where are they?"

"It's just a she, and whoever she is, she's _strong_. There wasn't much we could do against her; she only stopped when we said that all of us weren't here." He shifted his glance to Diana. "She's particularly interested in seeing you, Wonder Woman."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "And why is that? Does this person know me?"

"She said something about 'creating you', or something of the like." Hal suddenly took to the skies. "Come on, I'll take you to her."

"You mean she isn't here?" Clark and Diana said in unison as they followed him.

"She made it pretty clear she wants to fight you, Wondy. Aquaman and Flash managed to persuade her to move her farther down the city, where there were less people and more time to evacuate everyone. Half of D.C. is empty now."

"That's good to hear," she said. "Now we won't have to worry about hurting anyone."

They didn't have to fly too far; they had moved only a few miles away. Upon landing, Barry and Arthur came up to them. "Thank God you're here!" Barry shouted. "Wonder Woman, she's waiting for you."

"So I've heard." She frowned. "What does she look like?"

"She's pale, has a very short haircut, some sort of dress with various cuts in it, and is barefoot. Oh, and he keeps calling you 'baby sister'."

The look that came onto Diana's face a second later made even Clark move away. Gone was the usually calm and reasonable woman they all knew; a warrior took her place, and this one looked ready to kill. "Strife!" she shouted, shooting into the sky while looking around. "I know it's you! Show yourself!"

"Strife?" Barry repeated in confusion. "Who's that?"

Hal and Clark said in unison, "Eris."

A moment later a woman with grey skin appeared near them, a cold smirk on her black-glossed lips. "You called, Baby Sis?" she called, looking at Diana.

Diana growled, lowering herself to the ground until she was in front of Strife. "How many times do I have to tell you to _not_ call me that? Being your younger sister is the _last_ thing I would want to be!"

"Oh, but it's true," Strife purred, moving closer to the angered Amazon. "You'd be surprised just how _close_ we really are."

"Just because I was created by the gods does not mean we are related! Zeus and Hera are your parents; I was _created_ by them!"

A laugh escaped the older goddess. "Don't you think that's how we're born?"

Diana clenched her fists together. "Forget it. What do you want? Why are you here?"

Strife laughed again and sauntered over to the others, keeping her cold grey eyes locked with sky blue ones. "What? Is it a crime to visit you? It's been a while since I've seen you, you know. I missed you."

"Don't you think I would know your little games by now? You only show up to cause mayhem and chaos!"

"That's what I'm the goddess of, you idiot. Don't be surprised that where I am there's trouble. It's literally in my blood." She was now standing in front of Clark, who looked at her with a hardened gaze. "Well, aren't you handsome? You look like someone who could protect their lover, if he had one, that is." Her gaze flicked between Diana and him. "Is my little sister your lover?"

Both of them made disgusted faces. "No! Absolutely not!" they shouted together.

"Aw, it's a shame. I think you two would make a cute couple. My baby sister's stubborn and has a lot of willpower; anyone who bears an 'S' on his chest will most likely be a perfect candidate for her."

A hand suddenly yanked her away, and she spun around. "Oh, Baby Sis, why did you have to ruin my fun?"

Diana sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Obviously you're not here for a fight, or you'd be here with War. What do you want?"

Strife smirked. "Alright, you caught me. I'm not here for a fight, at least right now. I'm here for other matters."

"Which is?"

The goddess leaned in until she was inches away from the other woman. "I'm here to warn you. You're currently treading dangerous territory, and Mother's not happy with it."

"But Man's World doesn't belong to the gods!"

"Oh, who said anything about _that_?" Strife turned away. "That's the only warning I'm going to give you, or else it wouldn't be fun anymore. See ya soon!" She laughed as she disappeared, her voice echoing in the wind.

The moment she was gone the League let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that was…different," Barry said. "Just who was she?"

"She's the goddess of chaos and an enemy to the Amazons," Diana explained. "But she mostly toys with me, for her own amusement. Whenever she knows I'm around she's prone to cause damage, or at least be a nuisance. Thankfully she hasn't caused any harm today, but who knows what she'll do next time."

"Wait, so she does this regularly?" Hal interjected. "Won't that be a problem?"

"Like I said, she mostly comes after me. If I stray away long enough she'll cause destruction to get my attention. But for the most part she stays with Hera, her mother."

"She also called you Baby Sister," Barry added. "Why?"

"It's something she does to annoy me." Diana turned away from them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to return to the Tower. You'll know where to find me." With that, she flew away.

* * *

The door to Diana's room suddenly slammed open, jerking the Amazon out of her mental training. She turned her gaze to the doorway and saw Clark standing there, glaring at her. "What? I finally left you alone, didn't I?"

"Why did you come here?" he demanded, angrily closing the door behind him. "You already have _one_ enemy, and it's a goddess! Why did you drag your problems over to us?"

Diana returned the glare. "For your information, I _wanted _to come here, Superman. The world was in danger of being destroyed; I was not going to idly stand aside and watch it happen. So I took action. And as for my 'problems', as you so call it, it is only her, and even then she is like a pest. If I ignore her she gets my attention through her means. There is absolutely nobody else you have to worry about, for I have no other enemies other than her."

"But what about what Strife said about Hera being angry?"

"Like I said, I have no other enemies than her. She says these types of things to lower my guard, to make me worry more than I should. I am Hera's champion; I am an ally of the gods. Strife just choses to be otherwise."

Clark kept a stern look on his face. "Is that so? Are you sure about that?"

"I am positive, Superman. Any other questions you have for me?" Diana asked, a thin smile stretching her lips. It was obvious she was running out of patience with the Kryptonian.

"Not for now. But I will warn you now, if anything happens because of you, I am going to remove you from the League."

She scoffed, chuckling. "And just how will you accomplish that? Don't forget that I came here on my free will."

"I will personally take you back to Themyscira. That is a fact."

This time she actually laughed. "Ha! As if you know the whereabouts of my island! Besides, what makes you think you'd be able to physically take me back? What makes you think you're able to overpower me?"

"Uh, _Super_man, remember?"

Diana clicked her tongue. "Remember, a person can be called a name, but he has to fulfill it as well. And I can think of many other names you are being right now, Superman."

"Why are you calling me by my title? Am I now not worthy of a first name basis?" Clark smirked when he saw her grow even more annoyed.

"You know, you are the only person that has ever tried my patience so thin. Anyway, I know your name is Kal-El, but I know little of you. I only call a person by their name if I know them well, and as of now I know more of your superhero persona than your other one. I mean, you _do _have a life outside of the League, right?"

For a moment Clark thought she was trying to act funny but realized that it was a genuine question. She was really curious about what he did whenever he wasn't with them. He sure wasn't going to tell her about Clark Kent, though. "I do. But I don't get out much. I'm much quieter when it's just me."

"Really? Why do I find that difficult to believe?" Diana tapped a finger to her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Can it be because that you choose to pick a fight with me for no apparent reason whatsoever?"

"Hey, you brought an enemy over here. I was just looking out for the planet."

"You interrupted my training earlier to yell at me for simply being me. You twisted my words around to make them seem harsher than they were. I have the feeling that you use anything I say as a reason to begin an argument."

He wanted to say otherwise, but it was more or less true. Nearly what Diana said he eventually turned it into a fight. "Alright, I'm sorry. It's just my personal nature. I've always been this way."

"What, ignorant and quick to anger?"

He shook his head somberly. "Always assuming the worst. I've been this way since I was a teenager."

He saw her reaction, which was a wide range of emotions. She switched between shock, surprise, similar emotions before settling on what amazed him the most: _relation_. Just what would she, the princess of the Amazons, could possibly relate with him, a farm boy from Kansas?

She merely said nothing, sharing a look with him before sitting back on the floor, resuming her mental training. It still stunned him, though. Just _what_ could she possibly have in common with him? Sure, they were both immensely powerful, and sure he was an alien from another planet that was shipped to Earth as an infant, but at the end of the day he was just a farm boy while she was royalty. They were two completely different people.

But as he thought about the look she gave him right before getting back to training, he couldn't help but wonder…

* * *

**A/N: And there you go. Sorry if it isn't in its top shape, but I'm always exhausted now. It may show in my chapters.**

**So, how was it? Diana and Clark are going to rivals for a while, but you'll see soon enough the friendship they've always had. Trust me though, it'll get better.**

**Oh, and can anyone guess what my age is? Everybody's been asking me what it is, so can anyone guess? Just remember that I'm in high school :)**

**Also, what story should I update next? I've got "Forgotten", "Child Again," and "Hero's Legacy". Just choose the one you want to see more.**

**Comments and criticism are welcomed.**


	5. Saved by Superman

**A/N: I'm SO sorry I took so long to update! It's been a hectic month for me! My mom went on a cruise in August, the the moment she left my charger went out! And when I got that fixed a few weeks later I had no WiFi! But I finally have both, but more things happened to me recently. But I won't bother you with that. Now, on with the story!**

* * *

Weeks passed, and the team was finally beginning to stabilize, despite the numerous attempts to get Bruce join the team as well. The only response they'd get out of him was "I'm busy" or "Gotham needs me more than anything else". Typical Batman.

One night was surprisingly quiet, no interruptions whatsoever from the world. They had already handled numerous villains, one of them being the Joker, which required assistance from Bruce. The moment it was handled, however, he was gone.

The only people in the building was Diana, Vic, and Clark. Arthur decided to use the time he had to check on Atlantis, and Barry and Hal chose to check on their respective cities and visit relatives. Clark had no living relatives left so had no desire to venture out. Vic chose to man the computers in case something happened and had to immediately alert the others. Diana simply wanted to stay inside.

As Clark passed Diana's bedroom he heard something that sounded like continuous footsteps. He stood in front of the doorway for a few seconds, trying to decide to either intrude on the Amazon's privacy or merely leave her alone when he heard the footsteps suddenly stop. The door suddenly opened, revealing the woman. "I'm surprised you didn't barge in like you did before," she said, smiling. "Do you need me for anything?"

"Ah, no," he said quickly, quietly cursing under his breath. He yet _again_ forgot that Diana had super hearing and could have possibly heard him walking and stop nearby. "I was just going to check on you, considering that you were walking back and forth in your room."

"I'm fine, thanks." He noticed a spark of anger in her eyes. "I was just…thinking."

"About what?"

She shifted a little, looking away for a second. "Does it really matter? I thought you didn't care for one thing."

Clark looked a little offended by her statement. "Who said I didn't?"

"Although you never said it directly, you made it clear that I wasn't considered important, Superman.

He cringed internally. He did say that the day of their mission with Diana's enemy, Strife. As he thought about it, it was really something he should have not said, no matter the circumstances. "I know, and I apologize for that. Of course you're important. For instance, we would have never defeated Darkseid without your help. Now," he politely stepped inside and closed the door, "what's troubling you?"

Diana sighed, giving in. "Fine. I was thinking about what Strife said to me. Although she's known for saying words to people to upset them and play tricks, there are times when she is serious. I don't know whether this is one of those times."

A sincere smile appeared on his face. "Don't worry about it. Even though I only know of her through legend, I'm sure it's not that much of a thing to worry about. From my experience with gods, they strike suddenly and with no warning, no matter the reason. The fact that she actually 'filled' you in on what was going on gave the idea that she's only trying to play you."

The look on the Amazon's face said it all. He knew she had thought the same thing but was unsure of it. He also knew that she was debating on whether to trust him or not and eventually settled on a mental truce. "That seems logical. Alright, I won't worry about it."

"…That's not all you worry about, is it?"

A few seconds passed before Diana shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not in the least. I worry constantly about my mother and sisters; I was the strongest person on the island. What if something happens to them and I can't protect them?"

"Can't you listen out for them?" Clark asked.

Another shake of her head was his answer. "The island is magically protected by the gods. It's how no one was able to find us all these years."

"How would you know how to get back?"

"I know the location of it perfectly, and although it is invisible from the outside, on the inside we can see everything that is near us. My mother could send out women to help guide, should I have difficulty."

He smiled again. "Is it true that there are only women on the island?"

Diana smiled as well. "Seems like a man's paradise, doesn't it? Yes, we are a one-gender race. No male is allowed on the island. The only exception to the rule was when I rescued Steve Trevor, which is also how I became Wonder Woman."

They talked for hours afterwards, Clark asking questions and Diana eagerly answering them. Eventually their roles were switched, and Clark explained how he was born on a planet and was shipped to Earth as an infant. He made certain to leave out the parts of his Clark Kent persona, however.

* * *

"So, are you sure that this is going to work?" Barry asked, peering down the hall. "What if she says no?"

Hal rolled his eyes, cautiously peering down the hallway. "Relax, Barry, it's going to work. It HAS to."

"But you've seen how she is. Don't be surprised if she turns you down immediately."

"She won't. Now keep quiet. Here she comes."

Diana came down the hallway, immediately taking note of Hal and Barry standing nearby. _Great, I know one of them are going to want to talk to me,_ she thought. For the past week the two of them had tried numerous times to get her to go out with Hal, none of which she let occur for more than fifteen seconds. She knew that they were merely witty attempts for the small man to spend time with her.

"Diana, do you have a minute?" _Hera, here he comes…_

She flashed Hal a smile, turning to him. "Of course. What do you need?"

She noticed how much different he looked when it was just them. When helping others he became Green Lantern, the cocky and immature but brave superhero. Now he was Hal Jordan, "womanizer".

"Hey, how about you and me go out tonight?" he said, giving her his infamous grin. "We can spend some time together, just the two of us."

"Oh, Hal, that sounds nice, but I'm not interested. What if something happens while we're out?"

"We'll just do what Supes does; transform in discreet. That way we'll be able to do something together and not worry about anything else. How does that sound?"

Before Diana could answer Clark suddenly came up behind her. He was frowning. "Hal, just how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-eight. Why?"

The Kryptonian's frowned deepened. "You do realize that Diana's a mere teenager, right? She's only eighteen. That's far too young for you."

Hal's eyes widened. "Really? She's that young? She looks more like you age, Supes!"

"I look older than I am because of my genes. Diana's a warrior. She's physically fit. She's bound to look older than she actually is. Besides, how many eighteen year olds do you see running around as a superhero?"

Hal muttered, "Good point," and quickly slinked away, followed by Barry, who was quiet the entire time.

Neither Diana nor Clark said anything for a few moments before the latter decided to speak, "A simple thank you will be enough."

She shot him a look. "Excuse me? As you know, I did _not_ ask for your help. I could have handled this myself. And how do you know my age? I never told anyone about it."

"I have my methods. And you obviously were having difficulty with him."

"I was having difficulty—I _just_ started talking to him! How could you tell something so quickly? And either way I was _not_ having trouble! I was fine handling it myself!"

Clark turned away. "Whatever. But now you won't have to deal with him anymore, so you're welcome for that."

Diana merely ignored him, going towards the window. "I'm going out for a little while. I'll be back soon."

She left before he could ask.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, it's a little short, but I kinda lost inspiration in the middle of this a while back, and I just recently got it again. Sorry about that. I promise the next chapter will be longer and with more action.**

**So, where do you think Diana's going? I'll just say it's a person she's going to meet.**

**Oh, and another thing. I accidentally implied Bruce's son, Damian, in a previous chapter. Imagine it as Tim. I'm going to change it in a little while. Damian doesn't appear until five years after the Justice League forms, or else this would be awkward.**

**Comments and criticism are welcomed :)**


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